News24 reports that the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) on Wednesday decided to postpone the public inquiry into the 2018 explosion at Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) in which eight people were killed.
The chairperson of the inquiry, Mphumzi Dyulete, said witnesses were subpoenaed to appear and testify, but some did not respond. "We have decided to conclude this session because of witnesses who can't make it. But this is not the end," he stressed. The inquiry advised that 27 witnesses had been scheduled to testify up until Friday. According to RDM's legal representatives, they tried to track down the witnesses, but to no avail. During testimony on Wednesday, the inquiry scrutinised the issue of a new valve, which had been installed at the N16 facility shortly before the deadly blast. The issue had also come up during evidence led the previous day. On Wednesday, the inquiry heard that workers had worked throughout the weekend to install the new valve, and were allegedly receiving pressure from the company to do so. Four witnesses testified, including the maintenance supervisor, Brent Bennet, who testified about the routine maintenance performed at the factory. "There are routine checks on the various plants. We have job cards indicating when they were checked and who they were checked by," Bennet indicated. He told the inquiry he was not aware that the valve in question was going to be changed.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24
- Read too, Health and safety procedures at Denel plant in spotlight at second day of inquiry into explosion, at Engineering News
- And also, Day three of public inquiry into Denel explosion hears of valve that was replaced before the blast, at News24
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